waterman harley davidson pens

i bought a waterman harley davidson combustion fp and a horizon fp on ebay several weeks back. the combustion's nib was smooth but was fussy about the writing angle -- it had to be held almost like an oblique nib to get its sweet spot, otherwise (if held regularly) it will skip (a review of this pen also complained of a fussy nib). i looked at it under a loupe and saw that the tines were not cut symmetrically, and the split is more to the right side (nib facing me), thus requiring the pen to be held almost obliquely so the ink would reach the paper properly. but the problem for me really was the "leak". i put the leak in parentheses because the ink is not coming from the converter but from the space inside the section. if the pen is filled via a converter, ink seeps inside the space in the section, and later gets onto your fingers when writing. i complained about this to my seller and they generously offered a replacement pen without taking the "defective" pen back. the replacement arrived today but it was exactly like the first pen-- same asymmetric cut on the nib and with a "leaky" section. the "leak" can be "solved" by using cartridges instead, so there is no opportunity for ink to seep in.

for the horizon model, the nib is ok, but the grip section is flimsy made. it slid off when i tried to insert a converter! it can be put back in place, but there really is nothing holding it there, so another push on the cart/converter can dislodge it again. this problem made me use carts instead of a converter since ink can seep inside the the space between the grip and the section and make the pen "leak".

i'd like to know what your experiences are with these models (the freewheels gave me no problem at all). it seems to me that waterman did not really put enough effort to make these pens as good writing instruments and they were more like "collectibles" (like fast food toys and tumblers promoting a new movie).

I was gifted a Waterman Harley Davidson Horizon (chrome). M nib. I have not experienced any of the problems with leaks or ill fitting parts. My gift is several years old, though, and perhaps the newer models lack the QC from earlier? I have no idea how to determine when my pen was manufactured, and it was gifted as a used (minimal) pen that I had to clean a bit before using.

I've got 4 of the Waterman HD pens, 2 are totally sweet from the start, always a pleasure to grab and use. The other 2 have a tendancy to be a little fussy, all have great nibs, no leaks at all and have stood up to daily use very well.

Let courage rise with danger, and strength to strength oppose.There is no snooze button on a cat wanting breakfast.

I have two of the Waterman HD pens, an orange one and a silver one. The silver one works 100% all the time with PR Velvet Black ink, and the other one has been a bit skippy, so I just tonight gave it a good soapy wash and then rinse. So far so good with PR Ebony Purple ink. Hard to beat the price for a metal pen with a decent nib. I only wish they had screw on caps.

You might consider whether it is possible that the &quot;leak&quot; is related to this: There are 2 types of standard Waterman converters: The older version has a grooved band, just above the nipple. The newer version has a band just above the nipple (the part that is inserted into the nib portion) that is smooth, not grooved. The grooved type looks at first like it would screw into the nib portion, but it does not---the goorves are merely concentric circles, not spirals as would be needed for a screwing 2 parts together.<br /><br />I have both the HD combustion and the HD Flag/Sportster model pens, but as they are gifts, I have not tried FILLED converters (hence I don't know if either leaks), but I would add that on my Waterman Phileases, the GROOVED type of converter does not sit snugly, and so I use the smooth one. The grooved type, on the other hand, works well in my Waterman L'Etalon (also discontinued) and the grooved type does fit my HD Combustion (but, as I said, I have not tried it with ink).<br /><br />The Waterman converters I have bought on Ebay, at reduced prices, are the older, grooved ones. I believe I got the smooth ones from Janesville....or maybe Pendemonium has them. <br /><br />Well...just a shot in the dark. I do not know if this solves the problem or not. But good luck.<br /><br /> <br /><br />

Update: I just noticed that the HD Combustion nib is quite similar in design to my Waterman Ici Et La. My Ici Et La uses the GROOVED type of converter, and when I use that type, the "fit" is so tight it is very hard to remove it from the nib section. So---It would not surprise me that the grooved type is the best type for the Combustion.

I had purchased both - HD Horizon (Blue - Medium) and Combustion (Black - Fine) about 6 months ago. Been regularly using them & never faced any issue with them. They are glorious writers ! Sorry to hear about your poor experience/s with them.